Published: July 09, 2008 10:56 pm      

Country star to launch new CD at auto fair show

Although Friends of Coal Auto Fair headliner Randy Travis’ new CD “Around the Bend” hits the shelves Tuesday, fans intending to purchase the album might want to hold off a few days as the July 19 event has been selected as the location for a special CD launch promotion.

“It’s very exciting,” Beckley Raleigh County YMCA CEO Jim Gilchrist said of the one-day only promotion. “We were absolutely shocked when we heard he was going to use our venue to kick off his CD.”

Those attending the concert, which will take place at the Y’s Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports complex and will also feature local act Taylor Made, will have an opportunity to purchase a CD prior to, during intermission and following the show.

The CDs will sell for $10 each and will come with a free Randy Travis T-shirt.

“You can’t buy a Randy Travis shirt by itself for $10 much less a CD,” Gilchrist said of the promotion.

Travis will come into town after a busy week of promotions with a Tuesday appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Wednesday on Good Morning America, Thursday on Live with Regis and Kelly and Friday on The Today Show.

Gilchrist described ticket sales as “brisk” but says he believes the CD promotion as well as Travis’ TV appearances next week, during which he is expected to mention the auto fair, will cause a boom in sales.

“It’s going to be a great show,” he said. “I encourage everybody to get their tickets early because it’s going to be a sellout.”

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Admission to the auto fair, which will run July 18-July 20, is $2 per person per day.

Tickets for the concert, which is slated for 7:30 p.m., are on sale at area Little General Stores and the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA. Prices are $15 for adult and $10 for students ages 7 to 18. Children under 7 will be admitted free.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights tandem and competition parachute teams will jump in prior to the start of the concert and the night will cap off with a fireworks display.

Three Friends of Coal spokesmen — former West Virginia University football coach Don Nehlen, former Marshall football coach and current Virginia assistant head coach Bob Pruett and Jeremy Starks of the BassMaster Elite Series — will take the stage at 7 p.m. for a special FOC presentation.

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Gilchrist says the event would not be possible without Friends of Coal and the following platinum sponsors:

Massey Energy Co., Cecil I. Walker Machinery, Fairchild International, Terex SHM, Cline Resources Bluestone Coal Corp., Ramey Ford, Riverton Coal Production Inc., Brooks Run Mining, WV Coal Recovery, Petroleum Products Inc., Marshall Miller & Associates, Nell Jean Enterprises Inc., Patience Inc., Pritchard Mining Co. Inc., Bucyrus America Inc., Eastern Arrow Corp., Coal News, Summit Resources Inc., Little General Stores, Vecellio & Grogan Inc., Brody Mining, LLC/Selah Corp./CK Coal Mining, Eagle Coal Sales Inc./Diamond Trucking, West Virginia Coal Association, Phillips Machine Service, Southern West Virginia Asphalt, Gould’s Electric, LAW River Co. LLC, TWP Enterprises, City of Beckley, Newtown Energy Inc., Kanawha Eagle Coal LLC, Delta Electric, NARCO Inc., Raleigh General Hospital, ICG Beckley LLC, Patriot Coal Corp. and Concept Mining Inc.

— E-mail:

mjames@register-herald.com